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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — a committee
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ground — the earth
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com